


If There Comes A Time When The Feeling's Gone (I Want To Feel It)

by wingsyouburn



Category: Highlander - All Media Types, Highlander: The Series
Genre: Breaking and Entering, F/M, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Open Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-23 20:36:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18709531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingsyouburn/pseuds/wingsyouburn
Summary: Anyone else might have called ahead, confirmed plans, announced their arrival. But what fun would that be when she could break into his house too?





	If There Comes A Time When The Feeling's Gone (I Want To Feel It)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FireEye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireEye/gifts).



> Hi FireEye! I hope you enjoy your gift! The prompt that spoke most to me was Amanda/Methos, and "drifting into each others' lives after time apart (with or without a reason) would be great fun." I hope this works for you, and thanks for the inspiration! <3

_No longing for the moonlight,_  
_No longing for the sun_  
_No longer will I curse the bad I’ve done_  
_If there’s a time when the feeling’s gone, I want to feel it_

~The Kills, "Future Starts Slow"

It was a talent, sneaking into places unnoticed. Museums, art galleries, libraries, private collections. All a piece of cake to a thief of Amanda’s caliber, and most places didn’t even count as a challenge anymore. Except for the Louvre - that was a high unlike any other. She still thrived on the thrill of breaking and entering, and no matter how many lectures or eye rolls or heavy sighs Duncan gave her, it wasn’t like she was ever going to stop.

Amanda had a skill set. It would be a shame if she never used it. 

This job hadn’t been a complicated one. Enter mansion. Find safe. Break into said safe. Take jewels. Flee into the night. Nothing she hadn’t done a thousand times before. And she almost got away without being caught - if not for the teenage son stumbling in drunk as she made her escape, and snapped a picture with his phone. Once they realized what was missing, a diamond necklace worth well over a million dollars, her face would be plastered all over Interpol’s most wanted list. Again. 

So she would hang low for a while. Not a big deal for someone of her age, even if she did prefer a flashier lifestyle. In truth, Amanda was more annoyed that she couldn’t fence the necklace right away, but she had time to spare. What was a year or two or twenty in the grand scheme of things? 

And there was one person in particular who had a knack for disappearing off the face of the planet. If Amanda was more worried about the authorities, she could always run to Duncan, but she wasn’t interested in having someone else fix her problems. No, she was thinking more of an extended vacation with one of her favorite immortals. 

Anyone else might have called ahead, confirmed plans, announced their arrival. But what fun would that be when she could break into his house too?

A quick phone call to Joe to get an address, and she was off. The fact that her passport wasn’t flagged yet made things easier, and she tried to sleep through most of the flight. Costa Rica was a tourist trap no matter what time of year she visited, but it did mean it was easy to rent a car and drive out into the countryside. 

The road turned to dirt before long, and her GPS flickered in and out, only giving her half-reliable directions. More than once, Amanda pulled over to take out her map, spread over the hood of the car, just to make sure she hadn’t gotten too far off course. Of course he would live in the absolute middle of nowhere, just to make sure no one could stumble across him. 

It made the thrill of seeing him again all the more exciting, knowing she had to work for it. When she finally reached her destination, just outside Sarchi, the treehouse peeking out above the trees. Amanda killed the engine, parked some ways away, and grabbed her bag, a knapsack that fitted across her back with the hilt of her sword within easy reach. 

The one disadvantage to her plan was that she knew he’d be able to feel her once she got close to him, but Amanda loved the thrill sneaking around gave her. At the foot of the tree was a beat-up Jeep - he never did have great taste in cars - and Joe had mentioned that he’d been doing some volunteer work in a hospital in Sarchi. A stairway led up the base of the tree to the front door, where a wraparound porch greeted her, with a great view of the jungle below. Amanda imagined sitting up there in the early morning, drinking coffee and watching the sunrise. 

She shook the image off. Her footsteps were light as she tip-toed up the stairs, avoiding the front door and making her way along the porch. The lights were off inside the house save for one on the far end, with a man visible through the window. He was engrossed in a book, a beer on the end table next to him. Just the man she wanted to see. 

One of the windows on the opposite side was cracked open. Expert fingers wiggled the screen out of place and set it gently on the floor, trying to be as quiet as possible. Then Amanda jiggled the window until the lock popped, smiling to herself at how easy it all was. Not even an alarm in sight. 

Slipping inside, Amanda crouched in the dark room. Soft music played from the other side of the house, lyrics too quiet for her to make out but nothing she recognized. This was a spare bedroom by the looks of it, a bed with pristine sheets in the corner and an armchair on the other side. The art on the wall reminded her of a Barnett Newman work, in different shades of blue, and she knew it cost more than both the bed and chair combined. Offhand, she wondered if he had purchased the furniture himself or if it came with the house, for the art didn’t match the bedset. 

Not that Amanda planned on sleeping in the guest bed. Not once he knew she was here. 

Like a cat, she snuck to the door and looked out. The hallway was dark, but the end was illuminated from the room off to the right. Amanda slid into the hallway when she felt it - a tingling, creepy sensation working its way up her spine. She had the right house, and now he knew someone was here, too. 

The music never stopped. Nor did any other sound come from the room. He was a master of this life, just as she was, and he wouldn’t do anything to give away his element of surprise. Amanda paused, hand coming up to curl around the hilt of her rapier. If she knew him - and she did - she knew what greeting would await her. 

Each step now was calculated, knowing that it brought her closer to her destination. Her heels didn’t make a sound on the carpeted floor. Two feet from the doorway, Amanda paused, pressing her back against the wall. Normally this was the point in the heist where the nerves would gather in her stomach, anticipation and anxiety mixed together in a high unlike any other. Though she didn’t fear this meeting, those same flutters were still there. She greeted them like an old friend, smiling into the darkness. 

One more foot forward, and she swung her sword out, meeting the blade she knew would be there. 

He parried, and Amanda darted around the corner to face him head on, grinning as she stepped into the light. “Hello, darling.” 

“Amanda.” Methos huffed out a breath and lowered his sword, brows knitting together as he took her in. “Haven’t you ever heard of the front door?” 

She giggled, looking him over. Costa Rica had suited him well; he looked like he might have gotten a touch of sun, and he was dressed casually, in a loose white button down and linen pants. “Where’s the fun in that?” Amanda sheathed the rapier and dropped the bag from her back, sure she wouldn’t need it now. “That’s no way to greet a guest.” 

“They have this thing called a phone, Amanda. You could try using it every once in a while.” 

“But then I wouldn’t get to see this look on your face right here.” She slid into his arms, taking his broadsword from his hand and setting it beside her own. “I like surprises.” 

He snorted, but he didn’t stop her, his arms pulling her in like it hadn’t been years since they last shared a bed together. The one thing Amanda loved about Methos, he didn’t hold it against her when their paths had to diverge again. And he always made a point to welcome her back, without all the pesky questions that Duncan was bound to ask. “Though the point of being in a remote part of Costa Rica was that no one was supposed to be able to find me and drop in at a moment’s notice.” 

“Darling, we both know I’m not included in that.” Cupping his face, she stood on her toes to give him a chaste kiss. There would be more of those before the night was through, but she wouldn’t push him for them just yet. “You look well. Sarchi treating you alright?” 

Methos hummed against her mouth, a sign that he’d missed this connection as much as Amanda had. “For now, anyway. Their facilities here are small, but we’ve been making it work.” 

Now that she was in a room with the lights on, Amanda could better take in the home Methos had built for himself here. Clearly the life of a bachelor, but one with good tastes, from the art he’d chosen to the simple wood and leather furniture. A fire roared in the fireplace, not that she thought it was all that chilly, but it did help set the mood. “That’s right, you’re a doctor now, I hear. Or I suppose you’ve always been.” 

That earned a low chuckle out of him. “Got new paperwork and a crash course on modern medicine, yes. Amazing how far technology has come in the last few years.” He took a seat in the armchair she’d seen him in before, legs slightly spread open in a slight invitation. 

Amanda didn’t hesitate, sliding into his lap, her arms loose around his neck. “Should I call you Dr. Methos now?” she teased lightly. “Or would you prefer Dr. John Benjamin?” Honestly, it was the most boring name she’d ever heard. There was a reason why she preferred to keep her own first name when she could, though she understood why Methos rotated through cover stories the way Duncan sometimes went through women. 

“You’ve been talking to Joe, I see.” Methos trailed a hand along her thigh, settling on the patch of skin exposed between her pants and shirt. “I figured that had to be how you’d find me. I made a point to stay off everyone’s radar.” 

“But you knew I couldn’t stay away forever.” She traced a line down the center of his nose, tapping the end lightly. “You missed me.” 

“Of course. I always miss you.” 

“So it shouldn’t matter that I didn’t bother to call beforehand. Life’s more adventurous that way, is it not?” 

His arms tightened around her, her only indication that he was trying to keep her from slipping away. “You still haven’t said what’s brought you my way, Amanda.” 

“Am I not allowed to stop by and see one of my favorite immortals now?” 

Methos raised an eyebrow. “Because if that was the case, you would have just picked up the phone.” Then his gaze fell on the pack she’d carried. “What did you steal this time?” 

She laid a hand over her heart, gasping. “What sort of thief do you think I am? Honestly, I’m going to think you’re as bad as MacLeod.” 

“But you did steal something.” Methos took her hand away from her chest, lacing their fingers together. “If not, you would have called beforehand. I know you, Amanda.” 

Truth was, she had expected him to see through her motives for coming here. If she’d wanted someone to fix her problems for her - or attempt to, whether she wanted him to or not - she would have gone to Duncan in Paris. As it was, word of the jewel thief probably already reached him by now and she could imagine the Scot rolling his eyes, waiting for her to reach out to him. But not this time. Methos would not demand she return the jewels or make things right and he would certainly never suggest she turn herself in. 

No, Methos would allow her to stay as long as she wished. He would kiss her fondly when it was time for her to go. And he would cherish their time together for what it was. Not necessarily friends with benefits, for it was more of a relationship than that, but an open bond between them. In these moments, in this house, only the two of them existed. Sometimes, Amanda needed to know that she could still rely on him in this way. 

And a remote house in the middle of nowhere, Costa Rica, was the perfect place to lay low until the shitstorm brewing around her passed. 

Giggling, Amanda leaned in, pressing her forehead against Methos’. “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” 

“Mmm. What kind of diamond?” 

“A necklace.” She gestured to her own neck, watching his eyes follow her hand and glad she’d worn this particular black shirt, for it left little to the imagination. “One that looks far better on me than sitting in some safe, never seeing the light of day.” 

He shifted, his lips following the same path her hands just took. “You always did look stunning in diamonds,” he agreed. “But how big are we talking?” 

His teeth pressed into her soft skin, and Amanda let out a gasp. “It’s not my biggest heist ever, if that’s what you’re asking. But yes, it’s a little hot right now. Won’t be able to fence it right away.” 

“So you’ve come to me.” 

“I wanted to see you.” 

“That wasn’t the point, Amanda.” Methos moved the neckline of her shirt, exposing more of her shoulder to his kisses. “You know how much I like trouble coming to knock on my door.” 

“And yet you’ve never turned me away before.” Two could play at that game, and she unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his pale chest beneath. Methos hissed as she dragged her fingernails over his abdomen, and Amanda smiled to herself. “And you’re not going to turn me away now, are you, darling?” 

This was part of the game they played whenever they were around each other. Yes, Amanda understood that Methos liked to hide himself away, as if by doing so that he could keep the real Game at bay just a little bit longer. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t live a little whenever they were together. She liked to think she brought out his rebellious side, even if he’d had thousands of years to get it under control. They were good for each other, that was all that mattered. 

Methos brought his head up, covering her mouth with his in a needy kiss that set all of her nerve endings alight. “You knew I wouldn’t,” he reminded her. “How long are you staying?” 

She shrugged, still smiling against his mouth. “How gorgeous are the sunsets? Which side of the house does the sun come up on? Did you get any of the good Costa Rican coffee?” Amanda never gave commitments when it came to this sort of thing. Not anymore. Their lives were too long and she firmly believed there’d always be a next time for the two of them. Neither of them were stupid and headhunters shouldn’t find them here.

“Mmmhmm.” He tugged on her lower lip with his teeth. “All things we can discuss over breakfast in the morning.” In one smooth movement, his arms went under her legs, lifting her up as he stood. 

Amanda laughed, throwing her head back. “I wasn’t planning on letting you out of bed for breakfast,” she said. “Maybe lunch.” 

“That’s the woman I remember.”

These were the moments that were most precious to her in her long life. Knowing she had someone like Methos to turn to, not just because the law was currently trying to find her, made the years easier to bear. As long as they could still forge friendships and relationships like this, Amanda could care less about winning the Game someday or if the Gathering would ever happen. 

Tonight all that mattered was Methos’ reactions to her kisses and her hands on his body. In the morning, whenever they got out of bed, they could properly catch up on what happened in the last few years. This reunion was more important. 

After all, even the best exploits meant nothing if you didn’t have anyone to share them with. Their friends didn’t always understand the dynamics of their relationship, but Amanda wouldn’t trade these moments with Methos for anything. Not even the diamond necklace burning a hole in her bag. 

Neither one of them wanted to change who they were. She knew Methos wouldn’t ask her to. And that was why she returned to him, again and again, no matter how much time had passed. 

That was how she knew this fit her definition of love.


End file.
